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Half-sister to Blue Diamond winner gets career off to perfect start

Grahame Begg added another chapter to a family that will forever be special to he and his legendary father Neville when C'Est Magique won at Pakenham on Monday.

The three-year-old filly by Zoustar, who is a half-sister to Blue Diamond winner Written By, got her racing career off to the perfect start with a gutsy on-pace win in the Liberty Equipment Hire Maiden Plate (1100m).

C'est Magique became the sixth to race from Yau Chin, a daughter of Toubugg and the Umatilla mare Tilla's Daughter, but only the second to win on debut behind Written By.

"It's a sign of a good horse to be able to go and win at their first start in a race," Begg said.

"Every good horse I've ever trained they've won or run very well at their first start in a race and I think she might be no exception because she still doesn't know what she's doing."

Yau Chin's first two foals, Turn Again (Spinning World) and Take A Selfie (Time Thief), won one race each while Il Divo (Dalakhani) won five races between 1421m and 1733m.

Written By was the result of a visit to Written Tycoon when he stood for just $13,750 at Woodside Park and he was one of the top colts of his generation, winning the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes and finishing fourth in the Group 1 Golden Slipper.

Wise Dragon (Fiorente) is the only product of Yau Chin to race between Written By and C'est Magique and he has won three races up to 1875m.

All of Yau Chin's progeny were bred by Neville Begg, who has more than covered costs.

"Dad purchased her as a yearling at the Scone sales for $3500, I trained her in Sydney, and she won a moderate maiden at Newcastle but was close in the city quite a few times," Begg said of the mare who raced 10 times for one win and six placings.

"Her persevered and bred with her and got the result with Written By and upped the ante a little bit as far as stallions go.

"He went to Zoustar and we've got a full brother to her back at home who's just turned two and he's a lovely horse."

That colt has been named Bergerac, while last spring Yau Chin gave birth to a brother to Written By.

C'est Magique is only the second filly out of Yau Chin and Begg said the dream is to secure her some Black Type before her racing days are over.

"We'll let her tell us where she's at but if we could get some black type that'd be out of this world," Begg said.